1. He’s kind of a big deal. Bran has been one of the main characters since the show began. In case you forgot, all of the show’s craziness kicked off at the end of the pilot episode when Bran was pushed out of a window by Jaime Lannister. So now that we’ve gotten to know him and followed him and watched him grow (literally) for four years he’s just not going to be around next season?

2. Started from the bottom now he’s here. We know that Bran’s storyline has been unpopular in some circles, but the payoff for his long journey had finally arrived. In the season finale of Season 4 he reached the Three-Eyed Raven, he met the Children of the Forest, and he learned that he’s apparently pretty special and important. So now we just have to sit on that information for two years? Two years?!

3. But... the flashbacks! One aspect about Bran’s upcoming storyline that excited many readers of A Song of Ice and Fire is Bran’s newfound ability to see into the past. That would be a pretty handy way of fleshing out some of the show’s backstory (Tower of Joy, Tourney at Harrenhal, etc.) in a way that felt natural and within the show’s style. But no Bran means no flashbacks, which means the show will fall even further behind the books in its already lackluster capability of explaining certain characters’ motivations.

4. The risk of being forgotten. GoT has a ton of characters. Many casual fans have trouble keeping track of all of them, and Bran wasn’t in the show as much as the main cast anyway, so having him sit out an entire season just to (presumably) return in Season 6 seems like a huge risk. When/if Bran comes back, will people remember him, or perhaps more importantly, will they even care?

5. No Bran means no Hodor. Hodor. Hodor! HODOR!!!

Are you upset we apparently won't be seeing Bran and Hodor this season? Sound off in the comments below!